By john GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that generates code suggestions directly within your editor. When it stops showing suggestions in Visual Studio Code, your coding workflow slows down LISBOA77 considerably. The gray inline suggestions simply vanish, and Copilot appears to be silent.
Here is what usually causes this and how to bring the suggestions back.
Why Suggestions Stop Appearing
The Copilot extension may be disabled or not authenticated. If your GitHub Copilot subscription has expired, or if the extension lost its connection to your GitHub account, suggestions will not appear.
Extension conflicts are a common cause. Other code completion tools, snippets extensions, or IntelliSense-related extensions can interfere with Copilot’s ability to show inline suggestions.
VSCode settings may have been changed. If the inline suggestion setting was accidentally turned off, or if Copilot was disabled for the specific programming language you are using, it will appear inactive.
Network connectivity issues can prevent Copilot from communicating with GitHub’s servers. Since suggestions are generated remotely, any disruption in internet access blocks the feature.
File type or language may not be supported. While Copilot supports a wide range of languages, very niche or uncommon languages may not trigger suggestions.
Quick Steps to Restore Suggestions
Check the Copilot status icon in the bottom status bar of VSCode. If it shows a warning or is crossed out, click on it to see the status message and reconnect if needed.
Verify your GitHub Copilot subscription. Go to github.com, navigate to your account settings, then Copilot, and confirm your subscription is active.
Sign out and sign back in to your GitHub account within VSCode. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and search for “GitHub Copilot: Sign Out,” then sign in again.
Check that inline suggestions are enabled. Go to VSCode Settings (Ctrl+,), search for “inline suggest,” and make sure “Editor: Inline Suggest Enabled” is checked.
Advanced Troubleshooting
Disable other code completion extensions temporarily. Extensions like TabNine, Codeium, or IntelliCode can conflict with Copilot. Disable them one at a time to identify the conflict.
Check the Copilot output panel for error messages. In VSCode, go to View, Output, and select “GitHub Copilot” from the dropdown. Error messages here can pinpoint the exact issue.
Update the GitHub Copilot extension to the latest version. Go to Extensions in VSCode, find GitHub Copilot, and click Update if available.
Try uninstalling and reinstalling the Copilot extension. This resets the extension and clears any corrupted state.
Account and Data Safety
Keep your GitHub account secure, especially since Copilot accesses your code context to generate suggestions. Enable two-factor authentication and review your account’s active sessions periodically.
Be aware that Copilot processes your code context on GitHub’s servers. Review the Copilot privacy settings in your GitHub account to control what data is retained.
Wrapping Up
GitHub Copilot suggestions not appearing in VSCode is typically an authentication, extension conflict, or settings issue. Checking your subscription, re-authenticating, and resolving extension conflicts will restore the inline suggestions in most cases.